Means for expanding compressed air.



Patented Feb.16,1'9o9.

R. S. GATES.

APPLIoA'rIoN FILED MAR. 9, 190e.

MEANS FOB EXPANDING COMPRESSE) AIR.

ROBERT SA GATES, OF KINGMAN, KANSAS.

MEANS FOR EXPANDING- COMPRESSED AIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.` 16, 1909.

Application and March 9, 1906. serial N. 305,137.

To all whom it may concern:

Be' it known that I, ROBERT S. GATES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kingman, in the county of Kingman and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Means for ExpandingCompressed Air, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to means for utilizing a maximum amount of`the cold produced as a result of expanding compressed air or like Huidand equalizing the resultant temperature and insuring a nearly perfectexpansion of the fluid.

The invention. consists of a tank or receptacle and 'adjunctive partsarranged therein, such as an immersed expansion pipe, hood andpartition, and baiiies in the upper portion of the tank above theliquid, all of novel formation and arrangement, as will appear morefully hereinafter. i

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge the means for effecting the result, reference isto be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, whichis a vertical central section of a tank and cooperating parts locatedtherein. v

The tank 1 may be of any material and is preferably constructed of woodwhich is light and suiciently thick to retain the cold and preventpenetration of the exterior heat. Within the tank or box like structure1 is arranged a metal chamber comprising a lower 'reduced portion 2, anupper enlarged portion 3 and an intermediate tapered portion 4, saidchamber being preferably constructed of sheet steel so as to withstandthe internal pressure. The lower and tapered portions 2 and 4 of thechamber are spaced from corresponding inner portions of the walls of thetank or inclosing structure 1 and insulating material 5 fills said spaceand is of a nature to confine the cold and prevent the external heatpenetrating the same and reachin the chamber. A stand pipe 6 is locatedwithin the lower portion of the cham- -ber and is flared at its lowerend, as shown at fr', to admit of the surrounding medium having readyaccess mto the lower portion of the vpipe 6. vllixpansion' of compressedair takes place in the ipe 6, said compressed air being separatedp intosections by portions of the liquid. The part 6 may be properlydesigmated as an expansion pipe and will be reof the details ofconstructionof ferred to hereinafter and in the claims by such term. Ahood 8 is attached to the upper end of the expansion pipe 6 andconstitutes a defiector, whereby the liquid thrown up outof theexpansion pipe' and descending will be thrown outward in all directionsby' striking the said hood. The liquid, as it rises in the expansionpipe 6 and is discharged vertically therefrom, strikes the solid portion10a of the partition arranged thereover, and is caused to fall andcoming in contact with the outwardly flared hood S is deflectedoutwardly in the tank or box. The stay rods 9 brace the upper end of theexpansion pipe. Other stay rods 10 connect the lower portion of the airexpansion pipe with the chamber.

A partition is located above the hood S in the lower portion f theenlarged part 3 of the chamber and comprises a central imperforate orsolid portion 10a and an outer or perforate portion 11. The central portion 10a of the partition acts as a baffle to check the upward` tendencyof the liquid under the influence of the expanding air, therebysupplementing the action of the hood 8. The air separating from theliquid passes upward through the open or perforated portion of thepartition and collects in the upper portion of the chamber and is ledtherefrom by means of a pipe 12 to the required point of use,` said pipebeing provided with a controlling valve 13 to regu late the outflow.,

The supply pipe 14 leading from an air compressor, reservoir or othersource, not shown, is provided with a controlling valve 5 and has a loop16 in its length adjacent to thetank or inclosing structure 1 andapproximating the heightthereof so as to pre vent passage of the liquidfrom t-he appara tus to the source of compressed air supply. The supplypipe 11: has a portion 17 eX- tended into the lower part of the tank andchamber and terminating in a vertical eX- tension 18 entering the lowerflared or bellshaped portion of the air expansion pipe. A liquidrefrigerant, such as a solution of chlorid of calciiun or brine, issupplied to thechamber through an opening 19 until its level reaches ashort distanceabove the partition, thereby immersing said partition, thehood and the air expansion pipe. VAn air space isy left in the upperportion of the chamber and is divided by baffles 20 having a staggeredor alternate arrangement so as to compel the cold air to rtake atortuous path. The outow pipe 12 preferably eX- tends into the chamberapproximately to a central point.v

An apparatus constructed substantially as herein specified having itschamber charged with a liquid, is'adapted for operation by admittingcompressed air or other fluid into the lower portion ofthe air expansionpipe through the extension 18 of the supply pipe by opening the valve1,5. The air entering the lower portion of the pipe 6 expands and tendsupward and causes the liquid in the pipe 6 to flow upward until arrestedby the hood 8, while the air and liquid are outwardly and downwardlydeflected, the airseparating from the liquid and passing upward into thespace provided in the top portion of the chamber from which it is led tothe required point of use by means of the pipe 12. The liquid escapingfrom the upper end of the air expansion pipe is drawn downward andaround said pipe to take the place of that drawn upward into the airexpansion pipe by the action of the compressed air or fluid passingupward through said pipe. It will be understood that the air eX-iquidpassing downward around said air expansion' pipe is cooled to acertain extent, thereby preventing loss of cold which would occur ifsaid liquid returned to the lower end of the air expansion pipe by ductsor passages spaced from said pipes 6. The construction is such that themaximum amount of cold produced by the expansion of the air is utilizedfor cooling purposes in the industrial art according to the particularadaptation of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a chamber adapted toreceive a liquid refrigerant, an'air expansion pipe arranged within saidchamber and adapted to be immersed in the liquid refrigerant containedtherein, means for supplying compressed air iuid to the lower end of theair expansion pipe to cause the air and liquid to pass through the saidpipe in alternate separated portions, a hood attached to the upper endof the said air expansion pipe,

and a partition arranged above the said hood and having a centralportion imperforate and its outer portion perforated.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a chamber havingitslower portion contracted and its upper portion enlarged and adapted toreceive a liquid refrigerant, an air .expansion pipe Located in thecontracted portion ofthe chamber and anding in the pipe 6 produces coldand the 3. In refrigerating apparatus, the comoii nation of a chamberadapted/to receive a liquid refrigerant, an air expansion pipe locatedin said chamber and adapted to be` immersed in the refrigerantcontainedthere' in and a pipe for supplying compressed air' liquid tothe lower portion of the air expansion pipe to cause the air and liquidrefrigerant to pass through the said pipe in alter. nate separatedportions, the said compressedY air su l ino i e havin a loo `in itslengthrtb araveiitppassa e 2cif the liquid refrigerant rom the cham erto the sourceof compressed air supply.

4. In refriverating apparatus, the combination of a c iamber having anoutlet at its upper end and comprising al lower contracted portion andupper enlarged portion and an intermediate tapered portion, an air'expansion pipe located in the lower con-` tracted portion ofthechamberand open at its top and bottom, meansvfor spplyin compressed air to thelower portion of sai air expansion pipe, a hood attached to the cated inthe intermediate tapered prtion of the chamber, andl baiiies arranged inthe upper enlarged portions of the chamber.

5. Inrefri erating apparatus, the'combi-` nation of a c amber comprisingupper and lower portions of different diameters and an intermediatetapered portion, a valve outlet leading from. the upper enlargedportion` airexpansion pipe to supply compressed air or iuid thereto aho'od attached to the upper end of the air expansion pipe, a partitionar ranged above said hood and comprising a center iinperforate portionand an outer perforated portion, and baffle plates arranged in thechamber above said partition and alternating with each other.

In testimony whereof I affix in'y signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT S. GATES. [Ls] Witnesses:

D. Fonnnsr METcALr, O. C. GATES.

upper end of said air expansion pipe and loy

